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The Joe Murphy Column While in the process of trying to do articles to cover the Christmas & New Year holiday period, I came across an article written by our late son Kevin, which he sent into the year books in 1983. Which he called ‘A Family Affair’. Needless to say, at this time of the year we are ALL involved with our families and we will never get over the loss of Kevin. We still have a close contact with his 3 children and their families; and as a accolade to Kevin, I would like to add his contribution to this week’s column. ‘Firstly, I would like to thank the editor for inviting me to write an article, it is indeed a very great honour. Secondly, I would like to dedicate this article to my partner - my dad Joe. Never have I met anyone who is so dedicated to our sport and to whom I have learned everything from. Thanks Dad. My dad always says that; ‘If you put enough work into anything it will eventually pay off’. That was our secret - Hard Work! Owing to the fact that both of us were off work due to ill health; we were both 2 fulltime ‘Doo Men’ alas both with different views. I have been interested in the birds since I can remember. My granddad kept them and my dad started in 1970 when he caught a stray and it was put into the garden shed. My mum was caught in the shed feeding and speaking to it. Needless to say, the shed was soon converted into a pigeon loft. Our most important aspect of pigeon management is hygiene. Our lofts are scrubbed out every Sunday morning one week with Virkon S from Vetrepharm, the next with bleach. We have good ventilation in the loft; therefore, the loft dries very quickly. We hate to see pigeons in dirty conditions. The most important thing I think about national racing is conditioning the birds. It doesn’t matter how well bred it is, or how much it cost, if it isn’t fully conditioned - it will never win. Many people send birds 500 to 600 miles and very few can condition them. Having made alterations to the loft, a new apex roof, and renewing the outside but trying to keep the inside as unchanged as possible. Improving the ventilation with the help of my friend and dad’s mates during the winter, it was now down to us. Although my dad wasn’t working the birds were still cleaned out at 5am every morning. Every weekend the floor and nest boxes were scrubbed. A pigeon won’t be healthy if it is picking dirt and disease from inside the loft itself. In previous years I would look after the young birds and dad doing the old birds. This year we decided we would work together as a team. When dad started back to work, the groundwork was all laid. Dad was up at 5am cleaning the old birds before going off to work. I was up at 6-30am flagging the racing team as dad left. At dinner time the hens were given the open bowl as the loft was cleaned out and the water topped up. At 4pm the race team were flagged as the hut was cleaned out again and the water refreshed using Vetrepharm products (from past two years). The race team were kept going until dad came home from work. (When he left for work, I was standing flagging them and when he came home, he found I was still flagging them ha ha). Our winner is a four-year-old chequer hen named ‘Mystical Rose’ she was named by my mum. She was bred from a Victor Lough of Dunbar cock and a John Bosworth hen. Previously she’d won 1st club (only bird on the day) as a yearling winning 8th open Fife federation Sartilly, being 16 ¾ hours on the wing. As a two-year-old she flew Rennes; as a 3-year-old she won 1st club (again only bird on the day being 15 hours on the wing) 1st federation 1st region C 20th east section 83rd open SNFC Sartilly (1) 3180 birds (I have added the birdage JM). Five weeks late she won 144th east section 236th open SNFC Sartilly (2) 3673 birds. Then finally this year she won 1st club 1st federation 1st east section 1st open SNFC Sartilly (1) 3293 birds, also winning the Ogilvie Trophy for best individual performance in the SHU. ‘Mystical Rose’ tells you herself, when she is right. You just have to look at her. She goes a lot darker in colour, the same thing happened at the last SNFC Sartilly (2) race. About 3 weeks prior to winning the national we noticed that Mystical Rose’s cock wasn’t looking too well, so dad took him out of the loft. (He died during the night; we think he had been poisoned.) Mystical Rose was paired to this cock for 2 years and wouldn’t look at another cock. After trying 4 different cocks with her (she attacked all of them) Then one morning a young cock was showing off to her, so at night he was put into her box. She laid right on time sitting her favourite condition, 15 days eggs. We sent 7 birds to Sartilly (1) race with 3 on the result; winning 1st open, 141st open, 127th east section, and had 6 out of our 7 by the next morning. Next came the Rennes race 4501 birds we sent 6 birds timed in 2 on the day. Our first bird (Rising Star) won 39th east section 53rd open being 15 hours on the wing. Our 2nd bird was ‘Matt’s Mealy’ winning 55th east section 75th open being 15 ¼ hours on the wing. We failed to time out of Nantes. The final SNFC race was from Sartilly (2) 2915 birds and we sent 6 birds with 5 returning home. Our first timed was ‘Lady Janet’ who won 1st club 1st federation 1st region C 4th east section 5th open. Our 2nd bird was ‘Nick Faldo’ a young late bred cock who was looking outstanding. This late bred was sent with 2 nest flights to only his 4th race of his life, and was timed after 12 ½ hours on the wing, from 515 miles to win 18th east section 36th open 2915 birds. I must admit to being totally over the moon on winning the SNFC Sartilly race, and anybody who saw me that night will surely agree. It was more satisfying than winning 100 x 1st in your local club. The hard work had paid off. Before I end, I would like to thank the editor for asking me to write this article and also to everyone who congratulated us on our win. It was a lot easier getting up at 6-30am to flag the birds now. But I would personally like to say a special thank you to my mum, Margaret, who puts up with a lot, especially from dad and I on our ‘Different Views’. Also, to dad to him I am deeply indebted, for without his help, dedication and constant nagging I would never have been so proud to be his partner in winning 1st open Scottish National Sartilly. Finaly wishing all our friends and everyone else in the sport every success for 1993. Kevin J Murphy. Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com; www.pigeonbasics.com www.thecanadianpigeoninternational.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland © Compiled by Joe Murphy

The Joe Murphy Column Firstly, may I wish ALL READERS of my column A Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a lovely time with your families. I would also like to thank the staff at the BHW for their support given to me over the year with my column. These people are the unsung heroes of the BHW as they work very had to produce the paper on a weekly basis. THANK YOU ALL. Continuing with my short articles for the BHW to cover the Christmas/New Year holiday period, as the majority of us would like to have time to sit down and read about pigeons during this festive period. I thought I would retype an article written by one of Scottland’s great fanciers the late Eddie Newcombe of Macmerry. This article was written in 1972 and goes as follows; ‘JUST HOW much progress have we really made this past 50 years? Take several different aspects; breeding, racing, transport and feeding, to name some, and stop and think awhile. Have we progressed at all? I sat pondering these problems a little while ago, and I can recall 33 years since I started to race with a club, and a few before that just playing with pigeons, and I came to the conclusion that we have made so little progress in these fields that we have nothing to be proud about. There are, no doubt, many who in these fields that we have nothing to be proud about. There are, no doubt, many who would argue with me on this point, but these are my impressions, and as the editor has asked me to make a few observations on the subject of pigeons in general. I thought I’d air my views in the hope that they might provoke a few of our thinking fanciers to come up with some new and fresh ideas on the subjects. Take breeding. Our methods seem to have added nothing, material or intangible, to the birds, since we were handed them by the founders of the old families so many years ago. True we have bred some more in numbers, and in numbers there is perhaps safety of a sort, but I think we are still in the same straits as out Thoroughbred race horse owners, who can do match Derby winners with Oak’s winners, still without having bred their likes in all the many, many years of attempting to do so. In the pigeon world the odd occurrence turns up when a man breeds a classic winner from a from a classic winner, but so rarely as to be dubbed chance-though the man who dies with says there was not chance about it. If dubbed chance-though the man who does this says there was no chance about it! If there was no chance element, it must surely happen more often don’t you think? (Editor; What of the score or so Ace Fanciers who are at the top, and who stay there for decades, these too by chance???) Now let us look at racing. Boys, and inexperienced boys, of 50 years ago could do just as fast a speed as we can today with tail wind, and on poor days their numbers home were only poorer because they were flying less birds. It seems that our sport of today are better because we got that few more home, but in my opinion the racing pigeon breed has not advance for pro rata we are getting no better results than our forefathers. The birds have not improved a little bit in speed or any other fashion since our forefathers flew them. In races of 500 miles most fanciers get their good birds over the years, but extend that distance to 600 and 700 miles, and the numbers who manage to clock a pigeon dwindle rapidly, birds of this calibre are as scarce as a flock of Robins. Why? Aren’t we improving the breed after all? (Editor; In 1970 and 1971 more than 900 birds were clocked in races of over 600 miles each year, even pro rata is this not more than in say 1920?) Housing; Our loft design are just as the style in 1900. A brave few try the fresh air system, but our maritime climate soon makes them put the shutters up again. If this is progress – I cannot see it. The advert of louvres into loft design is both a shutter (to keep the rain out) and a vent to (allow the air in) but how large a percentage of the Fancy use louvring as much as they could? Not as many as you would think! Perhaps fancier judge their bird’s needs on their own comfort, they cannot seem to realise that there is a great gulf between the two needs, with their own comfort taking priority most times. Transport is a sore point. Rail was denied to us by the power that be for their own reasons. Finance cannot have been the reason, whatever excuses are preferred from time to time, pigeons paid their way until Dr Beeching came along to say they didn’t. Perhaps he didn’t like racing pigeons thought! Apart from that, road transport is among the back markers when it comes to the bird’s comfort. As has been pointed out by other writers with good reason, the sudden stops and starts at every gear change, cannot even begin to compare to the steady acceleration and braking of a train (or aircraft). The poor birds must wonder if they are travelling on square wheels sometimes. Air travel came to the Fancy for a brief period from 1947, then, perhaps because most fanciers are losers anyway, the cost made them revert to wheels. A pity in my humble opinion. However, we might progress again one of these days with luck. Feeding is a ‘hairy’ one. Fanciers 50 years ago used the same diets as we do today. Some progress with attempted a while ago, but seemed to lose its favour—or flavour-compounds of this and that, tried by manufacturer and fancier alike to stem the loss or boost the profit, came and went. Pink droppings didn’t cut much ice in my opinion, and were in compensation for the fancier looking to win his cash and cups, I think. Advice is the hardest thing to give away I’ve found, but from one fancier to any other that might be interested on the subject, the soundest advice I can think of is that one’s corn must be- like the soldier’s powder flask- kept dry at all times. Nothing takes the fire out of both faster than damp. Good pigeons fly well on all sorts of grain, but it must be sound and dry. Mother nature has her ways, and the man who is fool enough to try to work contrary to her methods always ends up the loser. The wild pigeons’ lives on grain he finds in the fields and waxes fat on it, but Mother Nature sees to it that the grain is sweet and fresh, not gone mouldy for being piled high in damp conditions all the time. Fanciers almost always take the easy way out, very much so when it comes to his hobby, for he is looking for relaxation and not work in the main, and for this reason many try the deep litter idea, and use cut straw in our Edinburgh lofts which we found very good. A week after putting the stray into the lofts we would toss it out and then use it for the pigs bedding, replacing it with fresh material, but of course we found snags, the biggest one in the book RED MITE!! We switched to wood shavings and though the problem was no so acute it was still with us. Then we tried sawdust but still the mite persisted, and we were almost despairing of ever shifting the pest when progress, in the only field that it has advanced in the pigeon world, in the shape of a pesticide came to our notice. We tried it and it worked exactly as we had hoped, the problem was over. If ever knighthoods were earned in the pigeon world, one was certainly merited here, for the biggest worry of all time in the pigeon sport has always been that of parasites, inside and out. In this field I think progress has been made, for today’s advances ensure that the many ailments of the pigeon world can be defeated, completely. The pigeon is born a fool, generally speaking. Like us in that respect. Training benefits the wise ones, those that have the capability of learning, but all the learning in the world is wasted on the thick bird as it is on a thick man. The good pigeon will succeed in the hands of a boy if they are fit, but how clever are we with the other 90% of all pigeons bred? Not very, for it is only that 10% that constitute the cream of the fancy that makes the grade, the rest are followers and always will be. When things go wrong and we are left with the 90% to get on with, both top brass and boys alike can make nothing of them. It is not the fancier that makes the Champion pigeon, the bird is born that way. They are there, always have been and, with luck, always will be. They make the sport, the achievements, the honour and glory, not us. Don’t forget it! We are merely the opportunity to prove the bird ability-or lack of it. The best of us succeed and the rest fail. Sometimes we are the reason why even the best of birds cannot succeed, and when this happens it is up to us to fathom out where and why we went wrong, What we did that prevented the good pigeon from succeeding as it should have done. Especially in the race from 600 miles and beyond. The effort that is necessary for the bird to get home is beyond human understanding, as it transcends every barrier we have ever had to face in physical achievement. We progress only when we begin to understand the tiniest bit of what it is we are asking, and work as hard as we can to help the pigeon to achieve the maximum, we ask of it. When we succeed, we can say we have progressed, and when we fail, we have done just the opposite. How many of us in all honesty send a bird to a race, just that we bit tired or off form, and take a step backward in doing so. Every forward step that was ever made has always been in the face of opposition of some form or other, it needs effort to overcome that opposition, and effort means progress. Overview Quite a hard-hitting article and I hope that this has made a few fanciers think a bit deeper into our sport. I also hope you the reader has enjoyed this article from this late great fancier. Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com; www.pigeonbasics.com www.thecanadianpigeoninternational.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland © Compiled by Joe Murphy

If they can fly out. Let a pair out to fly alone. This has worked in the past for me

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members of Pigeon Basics a Happy New Year and all the best for the 2025 Season. Your continuous support is always appreciated

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Totally shocked to hear of the sudden death of Fife Federation member Dodd Caffrey. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. RIP Geordie pal

Grasshoppers Chronicles:The Way of the Pigeon Health, Honesty, and Hard Truths As the festive season draws closer and the nights grow longer, the lofts are settling into their winter rhythm. Most pigeons have now completed their moult, shedding the worn-out feathers of the racing season and stepping into winter with pristine new plumage. For many fanciers, this is also a time of separation. The sexes are split, and for those not yet ready to pair, there’s a quieter, more contemplative feel around the lofts. During this period, one peculiar problem seems to crop up more often than usual: wet droppings. Not all pigeons, not all the time, but the occasional bird will leave a watery mess in the boxes. For novices, this sight can cause panic, often leading them to reach for the medicine cupboard. But in my experience, medication isn’t always the answer. In fact, nine times out of ten, it’s not needed at all. Stress, Diet, Weather – and the Power of Beans. So, why do wet droppings seem to appear more often at this time of year? In my view, it’s largely down to stress, diet, and weather. Separation after a season of companionship can leave even the steadiest birds feeling unsettled. Add to that the lighter diets often fed in the off-season, and you’ve got conditions ripe for mild digestive upset. And then there’s the weather. These cold, damp days aren’t good for man or beast, and the drop in temperature can have a noticeable effect on your pigeons. If you’re quick to medicate every time you see wet droppings, take a moment to pause. Try something different: beans. Put the affected bird on a high-protein diet and watch how quickly the droppings transform. From watery puddles to tight, brown balls, the difference can be remarkable. Now, consider the temperature’s role as well. On a mild, warmer day, you’ll notice your pigeons eat less than their usual measure. But on a cold day, watch how they eat with real relish, finishing their feed and often looking for more. Are you observing how your birds respond to these changes? Are you adapting their management accordingly? Often, a simple change in feed is all that’s required to resolve the issue. If you’re still unsure, a dropping test from a vet will usually confirm what you already suspect—there’s nothing wrong at all. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been one to challenge the status quo. I recall advice from a legendary scribe I admire greatly, a man with his finger on the pulse of the pigeon world. He told me, “Always tell the truth and be honest. You won’t be liked for it, but you can always hold your head high.” Those words have stayed with me and still guide me today. For years, I’ve read loft reports in publications like the BHW, RP, De Duif, and Squills. Inevitably, there’s always a claim along the lines of, “We never treat our pigeons—only good pigeons stay healthy.” Every time, it makes me laugh. Let’s be realistic—there isn’t an animal on this planet that doesn’t, at some stage in its life, need treatment. Yes, building natural immunity is vital. Yes, breeding hardy, healthy pigeons is a must. But let’s not pretend that cider vinegar, garlic, and clean water are enough to keep pigeons in top form all year round. If that were the case, the companies selling supplements and medications wouldn’t exist, and pigeon vets wouldn’t have a job. Good pigeons don’t come from a bottle, but good health is absolutely key to success in this sport. Ignoring health issues or refusing to treat out of misplaced pride isn’t noble—it’s foolish. Thankfully, the sport has come a long way. Decades ago, pigeon vets were few and far between. Now, we have a wealth of experienced veterinary practices that can analyse droppings, swabs, and sensitivity tests at reasonable prices. These services allow fanciers to treat with precision rather than blindly administering medications and hoping for the best. If you’re blind-treating and not seeing results, it’s often because your pigeons aren’t sensitive to the medication you’re using. Sensitivity tests can pinpoint the exact product that will be most effective for your birds’ specific ailments. Yes, it costs more than guessing, but it’s also far more effective. As the saying goes, “Do not fear those who are educated; fear those who refuse to learn.” On a more sombre note, the fancy recently saw the end of an era with the clearance sale of Duncan Goodchild, loft manager for the late, great Dave Hales. Duncan has been nothing short of legendary in the BICC international racing scene, overseeing some of the finest distance pigeons this country has ever seen. It’s a sad day to see those lofts emptied, but those lucky enough to purchase birds from the sale will have secured pigeons of the highest calibre. I’ve been fortunate enough to handle many of the champions bred and raced under Duncan’s care, and they are truly remarkable specimens. The sport will feel his absence deeply. My final thoughts, this game of ours is full of challenges, from wet droppings to health scares, from saying goodbye to legends to embracing new methods. But that’s the beauty of pigeon racing—it’s a constant journey of learning, adapting, and striving for improvement. Master Po once said, “The wise learn not from their victories, but from their struggles. For in struggle lies growth, and in growth lies greatness.” So let us face the challenges head-on, whether it’s questioning the status quo, learning from modern vets, or simply observing how weather, diet, and stress affect our birds. In doing so, we can hold our heads high, knowing we’ve done right by our pigeons—and by the sport we love.

RESULT

GOOD LUCK FOLKS

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members on pigeonbasics.com a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Rab Henderson Bo'ness homing society funeral arrangements 28th December 10am cuthills parlour 10 45 Carriden cemetery

Copied from Facebook IMPORTANT NOTICE Unfortunately, we at Performance Pigeons UK are calling it a day. John sold his main business recently after 29 years and the new owner will require all the rooms we use for breeding the pigeons. In the last five years since starting the breeding stud, our birds have excelled for many, many people in club, fed and national racing, as well as one loft races. Every season our birds have topped feds throughout the UK up to a birdage of around 6,000. It has been a great experience with many new friendships made. Thank you to one and all. We are now in the process of selling all birds - none kept back. Updates to follow.

Copied from Facebook Pigeon lofts at West Mills Dairy, Kirkcaldy, early 20th century. The pigeons are released at various distances and trained to return to their home loft. The competing birds are banded to identify them, they can fly for several thousand miles and can reach speeds of ninety miles per hour! Pigeon racing started as a sport in Belgium in 1818, when a hundred mile race was held. The late 1800s saw the sport grow in popularity in the United States, France and Britain. Today, pigeon racing is particularly popular in former mining communities in Scotland. Also looks like my grandad in the photo.

The Joe Murphy Column As there is not much happening within the sport up here in Scotland just now; except some of the household names within this area have decided to call it a day. With Tom McLeod of Tranent and Jim Hannah of Blantyre just 2 of the very best fanciers we have produced over the years calling it a day. As far as obtaining information to keep my article going it is like drawing blood from a stone. Fanciers don’t even speak to each other nowadays and as far as shows go, they are no defunct. I used to enjoy going to the shows in the winter months as it was a good indicator if your birds were having a good moult or not. If you won in the shows, you could then see how the birds did in the race basket and nine times out of ten you would be on the race result with them in the summer. It was all about looking after your birds 365 days of the year. I was having a good look at the youngsters I bred this year and now that they are out of the moult, I have been taken their pictures and also photographing their eye sign. I will add a couple of photos (chequer pied and blue bar)to go with this column. As there is not much feedback from fanciers nowadays; so therefore, I have been going through old articles to keep the column going. Tayside Highlights It was rather a barren year for Tayside fanciers in the National races in (1967) and this was highlighted by their absence. However, amidst the gloom one star shone brightly and that star was the Mealy Hen named ‘Wellbank Pride’ owned and raced by Jock Ellis. This hen earned the admiration of the fancy for her courageous performance in the Rennes race. While 6000 other birds faltered, this game hen plodded her lonely but resolute way northwards through the dusk, to be clocked in at 10-32pm on the night into a north-west wind. This performance was worthy of winning any National but ‘Pride’ had to be content with being 8th open and 1st East section, and the thought from Jock was ‘Well, there’s always next year’. Jock had 4 other morning stars who came trickling in to give him a full house while most of us were still waiting for their first bird. Another performance worthy, of note was that of David Ree, of Broughty Ferry, in the tough Nantes race where velocities were once again very low. Dave’s Blue Chequer hen 60T4603, was clocked at 06-16 to take 31st open 9th east section with a velocity of 657. A really excellent performance from a distance of 645 miles with only 121 birds on the result sheet out of 2000 sent. I believed Dave’s birds come down from the old Ed Harrow strain, ‘Nuff said!!’ North of the Forth An article written by ‘Taysider’ whom I’m assuming was the late Jim George (Round O) from Arbroath; who wrote. ‘After what has been regarded as the most arduous racing season for some years, the title of ‘Fancier of the Year’ in this part of the country must inevitably go to Robert Strachan, the Invergowrie ACE. Robert’s birds flew consistently well all season and finished with a great flourish by taking 1st and 3rd positions from the Federations 550 miles Dol race (under very trying conditions). This grand-slam finish gave him the bulk of silverware, including the R J Blair and Whitbread Trophies, for 1st bird Dol, The Melrose Drover for best average Christchurch 400 miles and Dol. Plus the much sought after Fyfe-Jamieson Trophy for the best average in the three longest federation races. However, his proudest moment ever, came when he won his own father’s memorial trophy- ‘The Strachan Memorial Cup’ for best average in ALL Federation races. Since Bob started racing in the Dundee Club in 1947 (the year I was born Joe M) he has been to the fore on more than one occasion, winning club and federation averages frequently. The fact that he is confined to a wheel-chair makes his triumphs all the more remarkable. Although he is a very successful club flyer it is his national performances that made the name of ‘Strachan of Invergowrie’ a household statement throughout the country. His finest hour was recorded by the great-hearted Blue Pied Hen ‘Tayside Princess’, who was 4th open Rennes flying 580 miles in 1955 and went one better the following year winning 3rd open, surely one of the greatest ever double triumphs at the distance in this part of the country. ‘Tayside Princesses’ lived to a good old age and left some excellent stock to carry on her line. Then one day she just disappeared and Robert never knew the fate of his fabulous hen. (It would have more probably been a hawk attack Joe M). Another of the birds which helped make the name of ‘Strachan’ famous was the courageous Red Cock ‘Starlight Special’, who was clocked at the unbelievable time of nine minutes to midnight on the day from Rennes to win 72nd open, two great efforts in this neck of the woods where day birds are very rare indeed. Robert owes a lot of his success to his great friend and ex-partner Willie Wilson of Larkhall, (another great name in the fancy Joe M), they exchanged birds from time to time, and this no doubt keeps each other in the forefront of the racing fraternity. A recent introduction is a son of J & P Dora’s 1st open Rennes national winner ‘The Fifer’ which was a surprise birthday present from his wife. This year’s Dol winner was a long cast racy-looking red hen SU59T4866, who was timed in at 11-06am on the second morning, recording a velocity of 769 ypm and collected a nice cheque for £62. Known as ‘Leading Lady’, this grand hen is a grand-daughter of the legendary ‘Tayside Princess’. Next bird home was his more fancied contender blue chequer 62T5715, one which can be considered to be a channel veteran with several 500-mile jaunts behind her. She was timed at 11-26am and registered a velocity of 741 ypm and took the lion’s share of the pools with a fine total of £92. So much for the joys of pigeon racing on to the hard knocks one has to take in his stride. Bob lost the bulk of his young bird team at the Riccarton smash, however, those that were left pressed on to the bitter end, in the true tradition of the Strachan pigeons, and no doubt next season they’ll be doing their best to make their master once again the Tayside Fancier of the Year. I hope readers have enjoyed this short story on 2 of Scotland’s Great Fanciers. Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com - cogeco.ca -forum@pigeonbasics.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland Cheq Pied Eye-1.BMP

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The Joe Murphy Column The Fife and Tayside fanciers have done very well in the national races this season; which is not unusual for fanciers north of Forth as they have obtained excellent records from long distance races for many a year. However as hard as I have tried to obtain information on the present-day winning pigeons it is like drawing blood from a stone. I don’t know if they have been warned off not to give me information; So, to be honest it is their loss. My article will still appear in the BHW and I will always find something interesting to add to it. Recently my column has not appeared every week, however after speaking to the editor; he explained to me that the paper has to match a capacity of 56 pages on a weekly basis; which will include adverts. When you see an advert that takes up 8 pages of the magazine, (remember these people are paying for the privilege of advertising in the paper). Any business cannot afford to turn these down so therefore scribes’ articles can only take up so much more of the paper. Richard has informed not just me but others that we may have to go on a two-weekly issue, so that everyone article will be included. To all the fanciers who have contacted me regarding why I’m not in the BHW every week, I hope this clarifies this situation; and I thank Richard for his explanation. Robert Strachan So much so that I came across an article on one of the most famous fanciers from this area; the late and great Robert Strachan of Invergowrie who won the Tayside Fancier of the Year in 1965 written by ‘Taysider’ whom I’m assuming was the late Jim George (Round O) from Arbroath; who wrote. ‘After what has been regarded as the most arduous racing season for some years, the title of Fancier of the Year in this part of the country must inevitably go to Robert Strachan, the Invergowrie ACE. Robert’s birds flew consistently well all season and finished with a great flourish by taking 1st and 3rd positions from the Federations 550 miles Dol race under very trying conditions. This grand-slam finish gave him the bulk of silverware, including the R J Blair and Whitbread Trophies, for 1st bird Dol, The Melrose Drover for best average Christchurch 400 miles, and Dol and the much sought after Fyfe-Jamieson Trophy for the best average in the three longest federation races. However, his proudest moment ever, came when he won his own father’s Memorial Trophy-The Strachan Memorial for best average in ALL Federation races. Since Bob started racing in the Dundee Club in 1947 (the year I was born Joe M) he has been to the fore on more than one occasion, winning club and federation averages frequently, the fact that his confined to a wheel-chair makes his triumphs all the more remarkable. Although he is a very successful club flyer it is his national performances that made the name of Strachan of Invergowrie a household word throughout the country. His finest hour was recorded by the great-hearted Blue Pied Hen ‘Tayside Princess’, who was 4th open Rennes 580 miles in 1955 and went one better the following year taking 3rd open, surely one of the greatest ever double triumphs at the distance in this part of the country. ‘Princesses lived to a good old age and left some excellent stock to carry on her line, then one day she just disappeared and Robert never knew the fate of his fabulous hen. (It would have more probably been a hawk attack Joe M). Another of the birds which helped make the name of Strachan famous was the courageous Red Cock ‘Starlight Special’, which was clocked at the unbelievable time of nine minutes to midnight on the day from Rennes to take 72nd open, two great efforts in this neck of the woods where day birds are rare indeed. He owes a lot of his success to his great friend and ex-partner Willie Wilson of Larkhall, another great name in the Fancy, they exchanged birds from time to time, and this no doubt keeps each other in the forefront of the racing fraternity. A recent introduction is a son of J & P Dora’s National winner ‘The Fifer’ which was a surprise birthday present from his wife. This year’s Dol winner was a long cast racy-looking red hen SU59T4866, who was timed in at 11-06am on the second morning, recording a velocity of 769 ypm and collected a nice cheque for £62. Known as ‘Leading Lady’, this grand hen is a grand-daughter of the legendary ‘Tayside Princess’. Next bird home was his more fancied contender Blue Chequer 62T5715, one which can be considered to be a Channel veteran with several 500 -mile jaunts behind her. She was timed at 11-26am and registered a velocity of 741 ypm and took the lion’s share of the pools with a fine total of £92. So much for the joys of pigeon racing on to the hard knocks one h as to take in his stride. Bob lost the bulk of his young bird team at the Riccarton smash, however, those that were left pressed on to the bitter end, in the true tradition of the Strachan pigeons, and no doubt next season they’ll be doing their best to make their master once again the Tayside Fancier of the Year. Tayside Highlights It was rather a barren year for Tayside fanciers in the National races and highlights were conspicuous by their absence. However, amidst the gloom one star shone brightly. That star was the Mealy Hen ‘Wellbank Pride’ owned by Jock Ellis, who earned the admiration of the fancy for her courageous performance in the Rennes race. While 6000 other birds faltered, this game hen plodded her lonely but resolute way northwards through the dusk, to be clocked in at 10-32pm on the first night into a north-west wind. This performance worthy of winning a National but ‘Pride’ had to be content with 8th open and 1st East section, and the thought, ‘Well, there’s always next year’. Jock had 4 other morning starts who came trickling in to give him a full house while most of us were still waiting for the first bird. Another performance worthy, of note was that of David Ree, of Broughty Ferry, in the tough Nantes race where velocities were once again very low. Dave’s Blue Chequer hen 60T4603, was clocked at 06-16 to take 31st open 9th east section with a velocity of 657. A really excellent performance from a distance of 645 miles with only 121 birds on the result sheet out of 2000 sent. I believed Dave’s birds come down from the old Ed Harrow strain, ‘Nuff said!!’ Scottish Central Fed trophy winners 2024 My thanks to Bernie Britton and Peter Keogh who have forwarded the list of successful trophy winners within the federation this year; these are as follows. Old Birds; Race Point; Otterburn winner H Borthwick Winchburgh Trophy (1); Hexham G MacKenzie Broxburn; Trophy (2) Thirsk M Noble Newbridge Trophy (3) Ackworth C W Job Winchburgh Trophy (4) Newark C Heeps Bo’ness Trophy (5) Kettering P Keogh Winchburgh Trophy {6) Thirsk G MacKenzie Broxburn Trophy (7) Maidstone J Ferguson Broxburn Trophy (8) Thirsk G MacKenzie Broxburn Trophy (9) Young Birds Otterburn M Brown Bo’ness Trophy (10) Otterburn J Boyd Bo’ness Trophy (11) Hexham P Keogh Winchburgh Trophy (12) Thirsk J Boyd Bo’ness Trophy (13) Harrogate C McReight Newbridge Trophy (14) Ackworth T&G Weir Winchburgh Trophy (15) Trophy Winners; Victory Cup Newark O/B C Heeps Bo’ness Stanley Cup Ackworth T & G Weir Winchburgh P Barrett Trophy Maidstone J Ferguson Broxburn G Duff Trophy Kettering P Keogh Winchburgh Scottish Central Fed Billericay Nat P Keogh Winchburgh Owen Sweeney Kettering P Keogh Winchburgh T Muirhead Cup Y/B open No winner T Manger Trophy Y/B National Kettering Mr Mrs Forrest Newbridge Nantes Cup Alencon G/Cup J Strang Bo’ness J Ferguson Trophy B/A open races No winner Mr & Mrs McKinnon Norte-sur-erde No winner T Muirhead Trophy 3 Longest o/braces Mr &Mrs Forrest Newbridge Avranches Trophy Brighton National P Keogh Winchburgh Ypres Trophy Billericay P Keogh Winchburgh Haliburton Trophy Lowest winning velocity G MacKenzie Broxburn Victory Trophy Highest winning velocity M Noble Newbridge Most points Trophy won by Broxburn Fancier of The year most points trophy G MacKenzie Broxburn Dickie Graham Trophy most points channel races P Keogh Winchburgh Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland © Compiled by Joe Murphy

Dumbarton Open Show - Winners Again a great day of doos and craic enjoyed by all members and guests.. massive thanks to everyone involved… all the organisers, sponsors, donators and supporters.!! Thanks to judges Andy Miller Lewis McCalley Barclay McCrindle.. a great standard on display.. Winners - Best In Show - Law & Brady £130 Best Opposite Sex - Law & Brady £100 Best Young Bird - Law & Brady £70 Old Cock Handling - 1st - Law & Brady £40 2nd -Andrew Suckle £30 3rd - Law & Brady £20 4th - Baz Nicol £10 Old Hen Handling - 1st - Winter Family £40 2nd - J Mackie & Son £30 3rd - Baz Nicol £20 4th - J Mackie & Son £10 Young Cock Handling - 1st - Winter Family £40 2nd - Law & Brady £30 3rd - J Mackie & Son £20 4th - Winter Family £10 Young Hen Handling - 1st - Law & Brady £40 2nd - Law & Brady £30 3rd - Baz Nicol £20 4th - Team Anderson £10 Massive congratulations to all the winners.. but especially to Law & Brady on an outstanding performance.. On behalf of all Dumbarton Pigeon Club we wish you all the very best thru the Festivities and health, happiness and good luck for 2025 and the coming season. ⁸